Primal vs. Canidae
In this comparison article for Primal vs Canidae, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal and Canidae, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.
Throughout this Canidae vs Primal comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Primal Review Page or Canidae Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Canidae vs. Primal
According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.
All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.
Primal Dog Food vs. Canidae Dog Food
Dry Dog Food | Primal | Canidae |
Crude Protein | 48.0% | 29.2% |
Crude Fat | 26.7% | 15.2% |
Crude Fiber | 4.6% | 5.3% |
Wet/Canned Dog Food | Primal | Canidae |
Crude Protein | 49.5% | 39.6% |
Crude Fat | 28.4% | 23.7% |
Crude Fiber | 5.3% | 7.1% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.
On average, Primal dry dog food recipes contain 18.83% more protein than Canidae recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of Canidae and Primal. Similarly, Primal wet dog foods provide significantly more protein than Canidae wet foods.
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.
When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for dry dog food, it's clear that Primal provides significantly more fat. On average, Primal guarantees about 11.50% more protein than Canidae. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more fat (about 4.73% more).
As you can see, Primal and Canidae guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Canidae and Primal also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Primal Cat Food vs. Canidae Cat Food
Dry Cat Food | Primal | Canidae |
Crude Protein | 50.1% | 36.1% |
Crude Fat | 24.0% | 16.5% |
Crude Fiber | 4.8% | 4.4% |
Wet/Canned Cat Food | Primal | Canidae |
Crude Protein | 54.6% | 48.8% |
Crude Fat | 25.4% | 19.8% |
Crude Fiber | 4.1% | 7.6% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.
The comparison table above shows that Primal dry cat foods provide significantly more protein than Canidae. More specifically, Primal guarantees at least 14.09% more protein. For wet cat foods, Primal provides more protein (about 5.72% more).
Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food
There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):
- Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
- Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
- Maintain healthy blood pressure
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Fats improve the taste/texture of food.
The table shows that Canidae provides far less fat than Primal. The difference in fat content is roughly 7.53%. In addition, Primal wet cat foods also provide more fat than Canidae wet foods.
Canidae and Primal both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Canidae typically provides a little more fiber (about 3.43% more).
Primal Pet Food Ingredients vs. Canidae Pet Food Ingredients
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Canidae.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Canidae.
Product Safety: Recall History of Primal & Canidae?
Primal has been recalled 2 times.
- March 13, 2015: low thiamine level
- Dec. 22, 2017: incorrect bone grind size
Canidae has been recalled once.
- May 5, 2012: Salmonella
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
Dry Dog Food | Primal | Canidae |
Per Pound | $45.57 | $2.94 |
Per Calorie | $0.0227 | $0.0018 |
Dry Cat Food | Primal | Canidae |
Per Pound | $45.93 | $3.19 |
Per Calorie | $0.0230 | $0.0020 |
The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.
If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Primal or Canidae, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.
Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Primal or Canidae will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Primal and Canidae. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
- 35% Off First Auto-Ship @ Chewy (No Code Required)
- 15% Off The Entire Site @ OnlyNaturalPet (Use Code AFPAWDIET)
Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!
Where To Buy Primal Pet Foods
You can purchase Primal pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Canidae Pet Foods
You can purchase Canidae pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
Product | Primal | Canidae |
Dry Dog Food | None | 42 Recipes |
Wet Dog Food | None | 15 Recipes |
Dog Treats | 6 Treats | 12 Treats |
Dry Cat Food | None | 13 Recipes |
Wet Cat Food | None | 23 Recipes |
Cat Treats | None | None |